Cribbing



Aug 16, 1932- E. c. ALEXANDER 1,871,488

CRIBBING Filed Nov. 5, 1951 ad igzmzder El-liRI C. ALEXANDER, OF GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO Paq- beyond thev front stretcher wall Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN'n OFFICE Y PRODUCTS CORPORATION,

MAssEY ooivoan'rn OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA CRIBBING Application led November 5, 1931. Serial No. 573,169.

. The present invention relates to cribbing and is particularly concerned with the l provision of an improved cribbing ofthe closed face, flush type whichhas advantages that are not present inthe cribbings ofthe prior art One of the most popular forms of cribbing employs concrete members alternately and stretchers consisting of members of regular rectangular cross sectionV and the headers being provided with T-shaped formations for lretaining the stretchers in place. One of the4 disadvantages of a cribbing of this type lies inthe fact that there are spaces or openings lin the forward cribbing wallthrough which the backlill may be washed out and the T-shaped formations on the headers project where they are exposed in such manner that the .interlocking formations might be broken ofi. Furthermore, such a. cribbing does not present a finished yappearance and oneof the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved form of cribbing having a substantiallyclosed face and having a flush type face in which there are no projecting, headers nor exposed interlocking formations. p

Another objectof the invention is the provision of an improved front stretcher unit which is adapted to be used with certain cribbings to transform the cribbings from the open and projecting header type tothe closed face and Hush type. Y,

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved cribbing assembly in which the stretchers interlock with the headers and prevent the headers from moving in a lateral direction, and in which the headers prevent movement of the stretchers in a direction transverse Y Another object of vision of an improvedy cribbing having a front wall formed of members of regular rectangular formation with drainage slots which are substantially concealed so that the front cribbing wall presents the finished appearance of a wall of masonry.

Other objectsand advantages of the intransversely laid upon each other, the

taken on the to the face of the wall.V the invention is the provention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawing in which similar characters of reference` indicate similar parts of the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of one of the improved stretcher units;

cording to the present invention; t

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view plane of the line 3 3 of Figure 2; and i Figure 4 is an end view of another modification of the front stretcher unit.'v

Figure .2 is a front elevational viewiof a portion of a cribbing wall constructed ac- "i The improved stretcher unit shown in Figure lis indicated in its entirety bythe num-eral 10 andall of the units of the present cribbing are preferably pre-cast concrete members which are provided with reinforcement 11, 12. The reinforcement of cribbing members of this type will be evident to one sllled inthe art and therefore will not be described in detail.

The front stretcher unit 10 preferably consists of a precast concrete member having a substantially plane face 13 of substantially rectangular form and substantially plane upper and lower bearing surfaces 14, 15. The p ends 16, 17 may also be provided with substantially plane surfaces adapted to abut against the similar surfaces on adjacent front stretchers. i 7

The face 13 preferably is provided with beveled surfaces 18 at its boundary and the lower bearing surfaceV 15 is preferably pro.- vided with a narrowslot 19,-the depth of which preferably correspondsl to the kprorjection of the beveled surface 18 on the face 13. The slot 19 thus terminates at the line 20 which is also the'corner of the beveled sur-y face 18 and this makesthe slotsl less perceptible in the front cribbing wall. The slots 19 are suiiiciently deep to permit drainage but the natural angle of repose of the backfill is such that none `of the backll could appear at the front end of the slot 19 and the vbackll is notwashed out: of the slot to any substantial degree.

The depth of the stretcher unit 10 from the lower bearing surface 15 to the top bearing surface 14 preferably corresponds to the combined depth of the header 21 and a rear n l stretcher 22 so that one of the front cribbing units may enclose and protect two courses of the rear cribbing units. Furthermore, the

Y front stretcher units are intended to interlock erably provided with sockets 25, 26 in their upper and lower surfaces, for the purpose of receiving the vertically projecting lugs 27,

y 28, carried by the headers 21. In order to save material7 .the Y rearwardly extending flanges 23, 24 need not lbe continued fromV end to end'of the stretcher unit 10 but may be terminated at the diagonal surfaces 29, 30 and the intermediate portion of the stretcher unit 10 may be narrower, being defined by the substantially plane surface 31 at the rear.

'lfhe thickness-of the flanges 23, 24 between its upper surfaceZ 32 and lower; surface 33 preferably corresponds to the verticaldepth of one of thel rear stretchersV 22 `and the depth of the sockets 25, 26 issuch that these sockets accommodate the vertically extending .lugs 27,' 28 on the headers 21. In the embodiment shown in Fi'gnre'l the flanges23, 24 are located at the top face of the stretcherunitlO so that the upper surface 32 ofthe flange4 23 Y is flush with the upper bearing ,surfaceV 1&1.

However, it is also possible to locatethe rearwardly extending flanges 23, 24C at any desired point between the upper and lower bearing surfaces la and15, at the bottom of the stretcher unit or midway between the bottom and top of the stretcher unit Vasn shown in Figure 4. f Y

The vertically extending lugs on the headers 21 are preferably substantially. rectangular in sectionland-providedwiththe rear beveled surfaces 34 which are adapted to Vengage the beveled surface35 inthe socket`25 or 26; The sockets 25, 26 may be made with a'suitable clearance for a substantialffit with :the lugs27, 28 particularly the casev where front stretc'hei` units 36 are 'also employed. The header units 21 are preferably located at the crack between thev ends of two adjacent front stretcher units 10,rso that two front stretcher-units in each course1`are locked in place by "each header'ufnit and, consequently, the -width of the socket 25 from the end 17 to the flat surface`37' corresponds to one-half the horizontal width ofthe headers 21.Y l

Referring to Figure 3, this is asectional view of an exemplary installation and it will be observed that an ordinary foundation can be utilized or a plurality of stretchers 38-42 of simple rectangular cross section may be employed as ak substitute for the foundation. The foundation stretchers 38-42 are so l0- cated as to engage the lower surface of the front stretchers 10 and the lower surface of the lwer header 21 below the front stretcher wall and below the rear stretcher wall.

A pair of headers 21 may be laid across 'the foundation 33-42 parallel to each other and at such a distance from each other thaty they will be located in the sockets 26 of a front'istretcher unit 10 which is 4placed upon them. A front stretcher unit 10 mayk then be placed infront of the endsof the lowest header 21with the upperilugs 27'in` the sockets 26 andthe cribbing'walls may be made as long as desired by using any number of additional sections of headers and stretchers. The next header is supported upon transverse rear stretchers 22 and on the front stretchers 10 land 36 in the embodiment'ofFigure 3, but' in some embodiments of the invention the front rectangular stretchers 36 may be wholly eliminated.. The use of the front rectangularistretchers36.increases the thickness of the front stretcher wall and thisisI an example ofthe finishing ofl a cribbing `of the'square stretcher and T-header typewith an 4additionalfflush type facing.v wall consisting nof the stretchers 10. f Insuch casethe front wall stretchers 110l need not'be made so thick from frontY to rear as would'otherwise be required andthey Ymay be made thinner than illiistrated in'Figure 3 so that the front stretchers 10'merely compose a covering for the ends` of the headers 21 and the stretchers 36.V When the stretchers 36 are eliminated the stretchers 10 may have their bodies made thicker to bear the weight of the front stretcher wall. y

The top of the wall may be finished bya front stretcherl 10 which does not havethe socket 25 if desired, but economical construction may oftendictate theuse of identical headers 10, since theupper sockets 25 will merely be superiucais.l The cribbingv wall may be made as high as desired by using as many stretchers and headers as desired, care being taken to doublev Vupthe headersl and stretchers atthe bottom if lthe height of the wall is such as to produce a weight excessive for the bearing surface and strength offsingle rows of headers and stretchers. lt should also `be understood that spacer blocks ofthe: type shown in prior applications of the same company may be substituted for the rear stretchers 22 or the intermediate stretchers 36 and the cribbing wall may be made as deep from front to back as desired by employing additional rearwardly extendinglheaders 21 lappingover the rear stretchers 22 to provide adinto a closed face,

ditional rear sections of the cribbing wall.

It will thus be observed that I have provided an improved facing unit for ordinary cribbings, which transforms an ordinary cribbing flush type cribbing wall or my front stretcher unit may be utilized in a new cribbing assembly in which this unit is used to build up the front stretcher wall without additional front stretchers. 'Ihe present cribbing assembly has the endsV of its headers protected and enclosed and the facing blocks or units are securely anchored in the @ribbing assembly by their interengagement with the vertically extending lugs on the T-shaped headers. l

IVhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A cribbing comprising a plurality of stretchers of simple rectangular cross section having plane sides and a plurality of headers of substantially rectangular cross section having laterally projecting lugs at cach end, said headers and stretchers being laid alternately and transversely upon each other to form a cribbing, and a facing wall coinprising a multiplicity of facing cribbing members of suiicient size to engage each other and enclose and cover one wall of said y cribbing, said facing members being provid- `ed with rearwardly extending flanges having interlocking formation for interlocking engagement with said headers.

2. A cribbing comprising' a plurality of stretchers of simple rectangular cross section having plane sides and a plurality of headers of substantially rectangular cross section having laterally projecting lugs at each end, said headers and stretchers being laid alternately and transversely upon each other to form a cribbing, anda facing wall comprising a multiplicity of facing cribbing members of suiiicient and enclose and cover one wall of said cribbing, said facing members being provided with rearwardly extending flanges having interlocking formations for interlocking engagement with said headers, said facing units being provided with longitudinally extending slots to facilitate drainage of said cribbing.

3. A cribbing comprising a plurality of stretchers of simple rectangular cross section having plane sides and a plurality of headers of substantially rectangular cross section having laterally projecting lugs at each end, said headersY and stretchers being laid size to engage each other alternately and transversely upon each other to form a cribbing, and a facing Wall comprising a multiplicity of facing cribbing members of sufficient size to engage each other and enclose and cover one wall of said cribbing, said facing members being provided with rearwardly extending flanges, said flanges being provided with vertically extending sockets located to receive vertically extending lugs on the headers.

4. A cribbing comprising a multiplicity of stretchers and headers, said stretchers and headers being provided with substantially plane rectangular bearing surfaces and being laid alternately and transversely upon each other to form a cribbing, and a facing wall comprising' facing blocks adapted to engage each other and form a substantially closed wall when assembled with said cribbing, said facing wall being provided with rearwardly extending interlocking formations for engaging interlocking formations on said headers to secure said facing wall in place.

5. A cribbing comprising a multiplicity Vof Y stretchers and headers, said stretchers and headers being provided with substantially plane rectangular bearing surfaces and being laid alternately and transversely upon each other to form a cribbing, and `a facing wall comprising facing blocks adapted to engage each other and form a substantially closed wall when assembled with said cribbing, said facing wall being provided with rearwardly extending interlocking formations for engaging interlocking formations on said headers to secure said facing wall in place, said facing blocks being equal in vertical depth to the combined depth of one header and one stretcher.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2 day of November, 1931.

EARL o. ALExi-iiviiEii.V 

